Just recently drawing upon his Christian faith (and possibly the economics influence of Professor Ayittey?), in a speech at Georgetown University, Bono altered his economic and political views and declared that only capitalism can end poverty.

“Aid is just a stopgap,” he said. “Commerce [and] entrepreneurial capitalism take more people out of poverty than aid. We need Africa to become an economic powerhouse.”

He compared the effort to how St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus, made his commitment to serve others.

“That’s what I’m hoping happens here at Georgetown with you,” he said. “Because when you truly accept that those children in some far off place in the global village have the same value as you in God’s eyes or even in just your eyes, then your life is forever changed, you see something that you can’t un-see.”

Many probably say who cares? Well… in this climate opinions like his matter. Whether or not they should is a different question. Unlike most liberals, Bono cannot be accused of being brain dead. By all accounts he is sincerely passionate BUT he is also sincerely curious — which makes him educable. Though it hurts my current profession… autodidact that he seems to be; he has probably benefited from a lack of formal higher education.

Same with George Clooney- when he got involved in raising aid for Darfur refugees, it was conservative Republicans like Sam Brownback who helped him out, not the Democrats, and he hasn’t talked smack about conservatives since. He even praised them on Bill Maher’s show.

This is so common-sense, it’s almost comical that so many people don’t understand it. Every first world nation on Earth was once a poverty-stricken mess, and all of them became prosperous by embracing free trade and capitalism, not welfare.

How could anyone with a shred of logic come to any different conclusion? Foreign aid and charity ,although important and vital can never be a means to economic prosperity. I applaud him for saying it,it will be interesting to see how it is received.